Sydney is one of the world’s great gay and lesbian cities — with plenty of stories waiting for you to uncover. Learn about the gay governor of New South Wales whose conduct scandalized the British Empire, the gay bush ranger who was hanged at Darlinghurst Gaol, and the “most violent woman in Sydney,” a tough lesbian criminal who carried a knuckleduster in her handbag and stole male gangsters’ girlfriends.

Starting out at Hyde Park Barracks, you’ll explore the eastern part of the city near Hyde Park and the Botanical Gardens before your Sydney tour heads toward the bright lights of the gay strip on Oxford Street. Your local guide will share dark tales of organised crime, corrupt cops, murder, and Oxford Street’s ultimate transformation into the center of gay life in Sydney in the 1970s

And, of course, a tour of gay and lesbian Sydney wouldn’t be complete without a look at the city’s famous Mardi Gras — how it started, why it began, and how it’s become one of the largest events on Sydney’s festival calendar.